MISSILE OBSTACLE FROM GREEK CYPRIOT-ARMENIAN LOBBIES
By Anadolu News Agency (aa), Washington
Zaman, Turkey
May 15 2006
The Armenian and Greek Cypriot lobbies in the US Congress have begun a
joint initiative to prevent the US from selling smart missile systems
AGM-84K SLAM-ER Stand-off land attack to Turkey.
Lobby authorities, asserting that “the power balance in Cyprus would
be upset even further and that Turkey may threaten Armenia with these
weapons” should the missile sale go ahead, wrote a joint letter to top
level authorities of the Congress Armed Services and the International
Relations committees asking that the sale decision be reviewed. In
the letter signed by Michael Bilirakis and Carolyn Maloney, important
names in the Greek Cypriot lobby, as well as Armenian lobby leaders
Frank Pallone and George Radonovich, claimed the missile sale “will
worsen the uneasy, insecure and disadvantageous position of the Greek
Cypriot Part.” In the letter, it is also claimed “there is no guarantee
that Turkey that supports Azerbaijan in the problem of Upper Karabagh
will not threaten Armenia,” in the case of the transfer of the newly
developed weapons.
Armenian National Committee of America Executive Director Aram
Hamparian claimed the sale of the smart missile systems to Turkey
is against US’s benefits and American values. The US Department of
Defense informed Congress on April 28 about the sale of 50 AGM-84K
SLAM-ER type smart missiles as well as the relevant support units to
Turkey. SLAM-ER missiles manufactured by Boeing can be effectively
used by F-16s against land targets. Following the Armenian and Greek
Cypriot lobbies’ objections to the sale, it has not yet been clarified
as to how the process will continue.